Looking to do some simple TX state park camping with the family.

5 folks total:

3 kids

2 low maintenance adults

What can you tell me about the good, modern day pop-ups? My only experience is the older ones that I saw as a kid that looked like the leaked in the rain, couldn't hold any AC/heat, etc.

Thoughts?

We had a used one that I bought off craigslist years back for $5k. Was one of the off-road type with aluminum storage rack on the front. We used the heck out of it and enjoyed it. One of the rare ones where everything worked. Only thing we never did was a numero dos in the cassette commode. My 6'4" 300# even used the shower just fine. We sold it and bought a hard side Jayco Jay flight, sold that and have been in a 37' keystone since then. All that to say I wish I'd kept the pop up. It was easy to pull, comfortable for wife and 2 dogs and I. We were cool on the summer and warm in the winter. I'm toying selling the 37' and buying another small camper, possible a pop up. It didn't leak on us at all.

We grew up taking ours on trips all over the south. No ac in ours. It never leaked. We could set it up in like 5 minutes and pack it up in like 10. When I got older, I pulled it around and it pulled great. 3 boys and mom and dad. Occasionally friends would join and it got a little tight, but never bad if you didn't know any different.

More recently a buddy had one that we would take on kayak fishing trips. He put kayak racks on the top and it worked great. There is no insulation, so the little ac ran all the time, but that helped cover up tired boozed fishermen snoring.

My parents bought a Colman in 1988 and they still have it. No AC but it had heat (lived in Wyoming at the time). We uncomfortably slept 2 adults and 6 kids for a few trips until my brother and I convinced my dad to let us sleep in a tent. Didn't take much, he wanted us out of there. I ended up taking it to college and used it at Reed and Kyle to camp out for tickets. Loved having that thing around.

Best time was at Reed during an ice storm camping out for a KU game. 100s of tents collapsed from ice and we were sweating in the camper. Also loved setting up a fire pit and drinking outside Reed while everyone came flooding out of Breakaway. We got a few looks from that crowd.

I grew up camping in pop-ups, then the family moved to a travel trailer and then to a fifth wheel. My grandparents who went places for multiple weeks at a time loved the fifth wheel, but for week or less trips it was hard to beat the simplicity of the popup. We looked at them a few years ago and just like all campers they have all issues, buy a lightly used one that has all the kinks from the factory worked out. The number of people I know that bought new campers in the last three years that have them sitting at dealers for repairs is huge.

If you have a truck those Project M bed campers are hard to beat for the money.

https://fourwheelcampers.com/model/project-m/

My parents had one for my entire childhood until I was out of college. We went all over the USA is that thing. Family of 6. We had a highly organized drill for everyone to set it up and take it down, with pairs of kids basically setting the legs and cranking it up and then teaming up yo set up each bed while dad attached the utilities and unloaded heavy stuff and mom set up the inside. As we got older, I was allowed to tow it in college to set up for spring break or summer trips if we wanted. Easy to tow.

It kept you dry in the rain, cool in the midday heat, warm on icy cold nights. You didn't have much privacy but you could curtain off the bed ends.

We had one a few years after I got married, as well, and used it several times until we got a great deal on a "divorce" travel trailer from friends.

My brother and his wife recently bought an older used one, he did some basic repairs on it yo get it in good working order, then bought an entire replacement canvas top for it and he and my retired dad installed it one afternoon, and it's almost good as new now.

Our family's "popup" in Colorado a year ago.

I would love to get an off road pop up to take the place of my tent as my wife and I age. She has been a true trooper but hasn't been much interested in tent camping anymore. I see it as a way to be more comfortable sleeping but still having tent camping options available.

I'm a big fan of pop-ups. We bought a 30' bumper pull with one slide out as our first family trailer but I really wish we got a pop-up. I pull the TT with a Tundra and it's not bad but it ain't fun. To me the 30' TT is no more comfortable than a po-up. It's still cramped and you feel every footstep. I only go in to sleep and shower and use the restroom. Otherwise it's claustrophobic for me. A pop-up would be so much easier to just hookup and drive to wherever for a weekend. The TT not so much.

I'd do a pop-up or if you really want comfort then step up to a big fifth wheel. The in-between sucks.

Grew up with a StarCraft pop up. It was great for our family of four.. We towed it to most of the state parks in Texas, and made annual trips to Devils Den. We used it about 15-20 trips a year. Ours had a window unit that heated and cooled it pretty well. They are way better than tent camping that's for sure. These days I have a bumper pull that stays at my deer lease and my folks have a diesel pusher.

I bought an '88 Coleman in 2010 in which the mechanisms and tent were in decent shape, but the body had some dents, and put in in a pasture on a deer lease. We thought if it lasted us 3 or so years in that environment (not garaged, mice, etc.) that we'd get out ahead while we got a better trailer.

It finally gave up in 2020. It survived a **** storm in Harvey to boot. Closed of course.

Lesson's learned. If a rat snake sheds in it over the 8 months of non use, save the skin and put it back in when done for the year. After the first few years, we figured that one out (after getting several places of tent damage, and only had mice damage a couple times after that. When the skins would finally fall apart, we'd hit up the barn on site and find one to put in for the off season. It works.

Just bought a used one for $800. AC works great and plenty of room for our family of 5. Took it to the river and stayed the night. Worked well for the first time.

Good info. Thanks. Will start looking around at lightly used ones, feels like a good time for folks to be unloading covid toys that didn't get much use.

Still just a bit early for the mass unloading to be on. Getting closer, but the real deals haven't started yet.

Yeah demand is still high for recreational items like this.

Grew up in the '70's. We had a green Apache hard-side popup we towed behind a Ford supercab. Dad, mom, four boys, and a golden retriever. We traveled all over the country with that setup. We had a cab on the back and a little loft where two of us and the dog would ride. The other two boys would be in the supercab seats. We kept the side windows open to keep the CO to a minimum -- safety first. We saw the sequoias, golden gate bridge, yellowstone, glacier park, Lake Louise and Banff, Mount Rushmore, DC, etc. Great times. No A/C, but I don't remember the heat. Awesome times. My mom is a saint.

That's a sweet setup. I've been looking to outfit a trailer like that to tow behind my 4Runner.

I have 5 year old high clearance pop ups with cargo area in the front. Been all over Texas in it and couple of trips to CO. Reasonably priced, fits in my garage, pulls easy and sleeps 5 comfortably. Don't like risk of it raining when time it is to leave or less protection in nasty storm. Happy with the purchase and suits the purpose for us.

Few questions, how effective are the AC's in the things? Is mid august Texas camping doable? How useful are the showers in the newer models?

Mine keeps it livable but won't be freezing you out in August. I don't have a shower so can't speak to that. We have been to dang near every state park in that thing. It is 20 years old at this point but I store it under a car point and have never had any issues.
I have only had to put it down in the rain a couple times, it isn't a huge deal, you just put it back up when you get home and let it dry out.

I have bigger 15000 btu AC. Went camping at garner early sept last year and kept it cool enough to not be sweating mid day. I didn't put reflectix in the windows or gizmos on either. I have shower but only kids used it so far. We also have outdoor shower which you can get outdoor shower tent for it. We haven't had any issues with campground facilities so shower or toilet isn't must for us.

We had a 2004 Santa Fe I bought cheap off a friend in 2019. Used it for about 3 years and sold it for a good price earlier this year. We didn't use it often enough to justify storage costs or taking up space in garage. It had great AC, kids loved it, easy to tow. It took a while to setup and break down. We got pretty quick at it but still an hour+ including to pop-up, level, getting beds made, setting up outdoor kitchen, lights, etc. Then I spent a lot of time with basic maintenance (tires, re-water proofing the slide outs, little fixes here and there. It was old so needed more work than a new model.

We are going back to tent camping, possibly with portable A/C for summer months. We'll also rent a camper as needed.

BurnetAggie99 said:

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If you have a truck those Project M bed campers are hard to beat for the money.

https://fourwheelcampers.com/model/project-m/

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Nice. But the nearest dealer is in Colorado, 1000 miles from CStat.